Renault Has Big Plans for its Premium Brand

The Renault group plans that in 25 years its Initiale Paris brand would become a commercial success.

It seems that Renault will follow Nissan with its Infiniti offshoot. This means that besides the existing Renault and Dacia brands, the company will probably launch another new sports car marque with Alpine.

“We have already used the Initiale Paris name for high-end special editions and for a concept car, ” said chief operating officer Carlos Tavares. “But if we are to launch it as a brand then we must try something more specific. We must capture buyers who want to buy for the sake of design or attractiveness.”

It is believed that Tavares plans to use the company’s collaboration with Mercedes and use the next-generation E-class platform. But since the first car to be built off the platform will be the new C-class in 2013, suggests that Renault will not have access to the platform until 2015. Tavares is realistic that a new premium brand won’t achieve quick success, since it took 25 years for Infiniti to be a success, and 30 for Audi.

“It is clear that the space could be there in the market for an upmarket brand, and that the Renault Group has space for such approaches,” he said.